Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro, born on September 21, 1971, is an American actor, comedian, and TV host. He is best known for playing Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and for his roles in Silver Spoons and In the House.
Ribeiro began acting as a child and became known for starring in the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid. He later appeared on the British show I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!. Today, he hosts America’s Funniest Home Videos on ABC and co-hosts Dancing with the Stars with Julianne Hough. He won season 19 of Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer Witney Carson, and together they also hosted the game show Catch 21.
Age
Alfonso was born on September 21, 1971, in New York City, U.S. He is 54 years old.
Profile Summary
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Alfonso Ribeiro |
| Birth Name | Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro |
| Date of Birth | September 21, 1971 (age 54) |
| Place of Birth | New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations | Actor; Comedian; Singer; Dancer; Television Host; Director |
| Years Active | 1980–present |
| Children | 4 |
Spouses
| Spouse | Marriage Details |
|---|---|
| Robin Stapler | m. 2002; div. 2006 |
| Angela Unkrich | m. 2012 |
Biography & Early life
Ribeiro was born in the Riverdale area of the Bronx, New York City, to parents from Trinidad. His grandfather, Albert Ribeiro, was a professional calypso dancer called Lord Hummingbird. His aunt danced on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In during the 1960s and 1970s.
Career
Ribeiro started acting at age 8. In 1983, he became known for his lead role in the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid, earning good reviews and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination. In 1984, he danced in a Pepsi commercial with Michael Jackson and the Jacksons, which led to a false rumor that he was injured. That year, he was also cast as Ricky Schroder’s best friend on Silver Spoons, and his family moved to Los Angeles.
In 1985, Ribeiro wrote a dance instruction book called Alfonso’s Breakin’ & Poppin’ Book and appeared in a commercial for it. He also released four singles on Prism Records, including the 1984 song “Dance Baby.” After Silver Spoons ended, he paused his acting career to finish high school and attend California State University, Los Angeles.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Ribeiro’s most prominent role was as Carlton Banks, the cousin of Will Smith’s lead character, on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from September 1990 to May 1996. Carlton was known for frequently dancing to Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual”, a dance routine that gained fame as “The Carlton”. Ribeiro based “The Carlton” on Eddie Murphy’s “white man dance” and Courteney Cox’s dance from Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” music video.
Ribeiro starred with LL Cool J on the sitcom In the House from 1997 to 1999. He graduated from the New York Film Academy in 1999 and later directed episodes of shows like One on One, All of Us, Meet the Browns, Are We There Yet?, Shake It Up, and K.C. Undercover.
In 2001, Ribeiro was a contestant on a special child TV stars episode of Weakest Link. He reached the final round but lost to Keshia Knight-Pulliam.
In 2002, Ribeiro returned to the stage to play Joe Wellington in an Encores! revival of the musical Golden Boy.
In September 2006, Ribeiro competed as a celebrity singer on Celebrity Duets and won, with Lucy Lawless as the runner-up. From 2008 to 2016, he hosted the game show Catch 21 on GSN.
On May 24, 2013, Ribeiro appeared on The Graham Norton Show to perform “The Carlton Dance” with Will and Jaden Smith. On July 24, he started hosting his second game show, Spell-Mageddon, on ABC Family. Later that year, he joined the thirteenth season of the British reality show I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, where he finished in seventh place after being eliminated on December 5.
More…
On September 4, 2014, Ribeiro was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 19 of Dancing with the Stars. He partnered with professional dancer Witney Carson and became the fourth celebrity dancer in the show’s history to receive a 9 from each judge in week one. On November 25, 2014, Ribeiro and Carson won the competition. After his victory, he hosted the nationwide live tour for the show.
On May 19, 2015, Ribeiro was named Tom Bergeron’s successor to host America’s Funniest Home Videos. In July, Ribeiro made a cameo appearance in the music video for “All Night” by pop-rock band R5. In September, he returned to Dancing with the Stars as a guest judge in week three of season 21, and he substituted for Bergeron as host the following week, after Bergeron’s father became ill.
That same month, he filled in for Bruno Tonioli as a guest judge on Strictly Come Dancing for week 5, joining the regular judges. He did this again in week 5 of the 2019 series.
Catch 21 returned in 2019, and Ribeiro came back as host, joined by his former Dancing with the Stars partner Witney Carson as co-host. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host in 2020, but lost to Alex Trebek.
In 2020, Ribeiro appeared in State Farm Insurance commercials as a Chris Paul impersonator. He provided a voice for a character in Muppets Haunted Mansion in 2021.
In 2022, Ribeiro became co-host of season 31 of Dancing with the Stars with Tyra Banks. After Banks left the show, Ribeiro became the main host, and Julianne Hough joined as co-host, taking over Ribeiro’s former role.
Personal life
Ribeiro was married to Robin Stapler from January 2002 to August 2006.[38] They have a daughter who was born in October 2002.
Ribeiro married Angela Unkrich on October 13, 2012, following a three-month engagement. The two live in Los Angeles and have three children, born in 2013, 2015, and 2019.
Ribeiro took part in several Toyota Pro/Celebrity Races in Long Beach, winning overall in 2015 and in the celebrity class in 1994, 1995, and 2016. He also worked as a radio spotter for CART driver Bryan Herta and sang the national anthem at CART and IndyCar Series races.
Net Worth
Alfonso Ribeiro is an American actor, director, dancer, and TV personality with a net worth of $4 million.
